


The Major Lift

by LakeYarina



Series: A Deal with God [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Adoption, Barisi as Parents, Family, Foster Care, Kat is a social worker AU?, M/M, but it's only mentioned briefly, domestic abuse, slight angst with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22444441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LakeYarina/pseuds/LakeYarina
Summary: sequel to 'The Minor Fall', a follow-up in which every right thing finds it's right place.(Raf and Sonny are husbands and this is the story of how they become dads)
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Series: A Deal with God [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615060
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	The Major Lift

**Author's Note:**

> i am *not* a social worker, so please excuse the creative liberty re: how foster care and adoption work but otherwise enjoy!
> 
> tw for brief mention of domestic abuse in which someone dies, but it's brief and not descriptive

“She said they’d be here at ten, what if they got into I don’t know- a car wreck or something?” Rafael said as he paced, Sonny grabbing him by the shoulders and looking him square in the eye.

“Raf, it’s ten o’ two,” He said gently, Rafael only sighing. Sonny cupped his face in his hands, running his thumb along his jawline. He had done it once, years ago, to ground him after a panic attack, and since it worked then it had become habitual. Before Rafel could rebuttal, or Sonny could offer any more words of comfort, the apartment buzzer went off and Rafael practically jumped away from him, scrambling to the door to buzz their guests up. Sonny joined him the door, snaking an arm around his waist. A knock rang from the other side of the door and Rafael took a deep inhale before opening it, the sight in front of him knocking the air he just took in right out of him.

The social worker, Kat, who both men recognized from a handful of SVU cases, was holding a half-asleep little girl in pajamas and flip flops, her hair pulled back into two loose falling out braids. Her small brown eyes were red-rimmed, the words Kat had frantically said on the phone two hours earlier ringing in Rafael’s ears. _"Four year old girl, police were at the house for a DV call and found her hiding in a closet. Mom probably won’t make it. Just an emergency placement until she can be put with next of kin. She’s quiet, won’t be too much of a hassle and we’re really struggling to find a family that can take her on such short notice."_

“Zoey, these are my friends Sonny and Rafael, they’re going to take care of you tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Rafael heard Kat say, her voice pulling him out of his head. The little girl only gave a tired nod, her eyes fighting to stay open. 

“Does she have any uh, bags or anything?” Sonny asked, Kat shaking her head as she ran a hand through the girl’s hair. “The police asked that we leave without taking anything while the apartment is an active crime scene.” She said, Sonny opening and closing his mouth, unsure of how to respond to that. 

“I should really go, but you both have my phone number if there’s an emergency before tomorrow afternoon.” She continued, and before Rafael could respond the child was being passed over to him, the little girl whining at the move. “It’s okay sweetheart, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kat whispered, giving her a small smile before stepping back and closing the door, leaving the three of them alone. Zoey looked like she wanted to cry but just didn’t have the energy, sniffling and letting out a quiet yawn. 

“Snack?” She mumbled after a moment, looking behind Sonny’s head and into the kitchen. “You want something to eat before you go to bed?” He said and she gave him a nod, Rafael following Sonny into the kitchen and sitting down at the counter with her still in his lap. Sonny opened a small bag of goldfish crackers into a bowl and set it down in front of her before sitting opposite them, Zoey putting one in her mouth and looking at him meekly. 

“Daddy hurt mommy and mommy said ‘Z-Z hide!’ and then he hurt her worse-er” She said, her tone of voice similar to Jesse’s when she was telling Sonny about her day at school. Except this wasn’t a kid talking about their normal day at school, not at all. Rafael’s face dropped and he met eyes with Sonny over her head, mouthing ‘Jesus Christ’ and holding her just a little tighter as she kept eating.

“I’m really sorry that happened honey, you’re very brave.” Sonny said, Zoey looking at him with a weak smile and talking with her mouth full. “That’s what mommy says.” She said and yawned again, her eyes drooping. Sonny stood up to wash her bowl out, and by the time he turned back around she was already asleep, head leaned back resting on Rafael’s shoulder. Rafael stood up slowly, trying desperately not to stir her too much, and followed Sonny down the hall to the guest bedroom. In a miracle of miracles, they were able to get her shoes off and get her tucked in without waking her back up. Rafael hung back after Sonny plugged the nightlight in and left, watching her move around restlessly before finally seeming to settle down curled up in a ball, only the top of her head and furrowed eyebrows visible outside of the covers. 

He didn’t realize how long he had been standing there until he heard the door creak open again, Sonny poking his head in. “You okay?” He whispered into the dark and Rafael stepped out, the lump in his throat that had been there since they had gotten the call from Kat growing, and making talking without his voice cracking an impossible feat.

“It’s so unfair.” He choked out, Sonny taking him into his arms wordlessly and pressing a kiss to his hair as his shoulders trembled and tears began to pour down his face.  
-  
And somehow, one night turned in three nights, which turned into three weeks, which turned into three months, which turned into eleven months. After eleven months and a day Kat asked to come over, saying she had pertinent good news to share. 

“Miss.Kat!” Zoey yelled when she saw her in the doorway, jumping down from her chair at the kitchen table to run over and hug her. “Hi sweet girl, I heard you had a good birthday.” She said and squeezed her back, Zoey giggling. “Mhm! Me and dad and daddy went to the Zoo and they got me a stuffed zebra that’s bigger than me cause since Zoey and zebra both start with a Z and and cause turning five is a big deal” she rattled out, Rafael laughing and pulling her into his lap on the couch as they all sat down. 

“So like I said on the phone, I come with good news.” Kat said, pulling a file folder out of her tote bag. “Since the state has exhausted all it’s resources attempting to locate a willing next of kin, the next step, should you be both be willing,” She continued and paused, Rafael tilting his head back and trying to will his tears back into his eyes before the next part, which he knew was coming, left her mouth.

“is for you to proceed as adoptive resources. There’s new paperwork that would need to be filed, but if we start today we can get an official adoption date in as soon as two weeks.” She finished, both Rafael and Sonny having given up on trying not to cry. Both men were in tears, Zoey whipping her head back excitedly. “That means I get to stay forever, right dad?” She asked to Rafael, who gave a wet laugh through his crying and kissed her head. “Yeah mija, that’s what that means.” He said, Kat wiping away tears of her own as she set the folder she was holding in Sonny's lap. He opened it, only for Zoey to lean over and close it, looking at him pointedly. “You can’t cry on the papers daddy or the court people can’t read them.” She said in as serious tone as she could muster, Sonny laughing. "Guess you're right kiddo." He said and looked at Rafael, who immediately pulled him into a hug, Zoey giggling as she got squished in between them, arms slung around both of their necks.  
-  
That night Rafael again lingered in the doorway after Zoey was in bed, just like he had her first night in the Barba-Carisi home. Except this time he wasn’t filled with dread, and neither was the little girl sleeping soundly in front of him. And this time when Sonny poked his head into the room he didn’t turn around and burst into tears. Instead, he looked between his husband and daughter with a smile on his face, his heart filled not with dread but with a hope for the future that he, for a long time, didn’t believe he had the capacity to possess.

**Author's Note:**

> love barisi as parents? check out my series Beautiful Boy which i'm back to regularly updating (:
> 
> comments highly appreciated!
> 
> find me on twitter at @fourdayshome


End file.
